Fluid dispensing nozzles, such as those used to dispense gasoline into vehicle fill tanks in gasoline service stations, generally include discharge spouts which extend outwardly from the nozzle body and are inserted into an opening in a vehicle fill tank. It has become common practice to employ radially outward extending retainers on the outer periphery of these spouts. The retainers engage a radially interiorly extending lip of the fill tank opening to oppose gravitational forces and to hold the nozzle spout in the fill tank opening when the nozzle is operated in an automatic fill mode.
When dispensing gasoline into a vehicle fill tank, such as an automobile or the like, it is common practice to prevent the escape of gasoline vapors through the opening in which the spout of the dispensing nozzle is inserted by sealing the opening from the atmosphere and withdrawing and recapturing the vapors by use of vapor recovery systems. Such vapor recovery systems commonly include a flexible bellows or shroud which surround the spout in spaced concentric relationship thereto. An annular passageway is formed between the discharge spout and the bellows and this passageway is used to withdraw gasoline vapor from the dispensed gasoline and to prevent undue pollution of the atmosphere.
The bellows type shroud has a sealing disc on its end proximal to the discharge end of the spout, which sealing disc sealingly engages the end of the fill pipe when the spout is inserted therein. This disc is biased against the end of the fill pipe by a spring which surrounds the spout interiorly of the shroud. When the spout is inserted into the fill pipe, the force produced by this spring tends to urge the spout out of the fill pipe and renders it difficult to operate the nozzle in an automatic fill mode. Thus, when a nozzle with a vapor recovery system is used, the use of such a retainer is especially advantageous as the retainer engages a radially interiorly extending lip of the fill tank opening to oppose tne force produced by the spring. The retainers are generally disposed about three inches from the discharge end of the spout and have a radially extension of approximately 1/8 inch or more. When inserted in a fill pipe, the weight of the dispensing nozzle will tend to cock the spout relative to the fill tank so as to engage the radially outward extending retainer with the radially inwardly extending lip of the fill tank opening.
Present day retainer rings used to hold dispensing nozzles into fill tank openings generally include a rolled groove positioned approximately three inches from the discharge end of the spout with a brass ring disposed about the groove and secured in position by a pair of set screws. Unfortunately, experience has shown that many of these retaining rings fall off of the spout after extensive use. Furthermore, it was often necessary to tighten the set screws every couple of days during periods of heavy use.
In making a retainer ring for the purpose of selectively securing a dispensing nozzle in a fill tank opening, it is necessary to make the ring such that its outside diameter is small enough to fit through the opening in the smallest fill tank into which it will be inserted. At the same time, it is necessary to make the radial outward extension of the retainer ring sufficiently large to effectively latch it into the radially inward extending lip once inserted. In order to be cost effective, it is also necessary to reduce the machining that is required of any necessary parts and to keep assembly procedures quick and simple.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a retainer for a spout of a liquid dispensing nozzle which has a long service life and which will not separate from the spout after long periods of heavy usage.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a retainer for a spout of a dispensing nozzle which utilizes parts requiring only a minimal amount of machining.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a retainer for a spout of a dispensing nozzle which may be quickly and inexpensively assembled to the spout.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a retainer for a dispensing nozzle which does not require maintenance once assembled.